The Brewers opened Tuesday’s doubleheader in St. Louis with a 4-3 win, and the story was Jacob Misiorowski’s arm and Christian Yelich’s bat.
Misiorowski struck out 11 over seven innings, giving up three runs on three hits and no walks. Yelich and Joey Ortiz each finished with three hits, and Milwaukee used a late go-ahead double from Yelich to pull in front for good.
St. Louis jumped on Misiorowski right away.
After Matt Svanson worked around Yelich’s leadoff ground-rule double in the first, JJ Wetherholt was hit by a pitch on Misiorowski’s second offering of the day. Two batters later, Jordan Walker turned a first-pitch cutter into a two-run homer, and Lars Nootbaar followed with a double on a misplay by Jackson Chourio in left.
Misiorowski escaped without further damage, but the Cardinals had the early edge.
Milwaukee answered in the third against left-hander Bruce Zimmermann. Cooper Pratt drew a walk, Ortiz lined a run-scoring double, and Yelich followed with a single to bring Ortiz home and tie it at 2-2. Chourio then grounded into a double play and Brice Turang struck out, but the Brewers had erased the deficit.
The tie lasted only until the bottom of the fourth, when Iván Herrera launched a one-out solo homer. It was the second homer Misiorowski allowed in the game and the fourth in his last two starts.
After that, though, Misiorowski settled in and took control. He didn’t allow another baserunner through the seventh and retired the final 14 hitters he faced after Herrera’s homer.
Milwaukee had chances before it finally broke through again. In the fourth, Jake Bauers doubled and Garrett Mitchell singled, but the Brewers couldn’t cash either in.
They went down in order in the fifth, then tied it in the sixth when Bauers doubled again and Mitchell brought him home with his second single of the afternoon. The play at the plate was close, but the call stood after review following a St.
Louis challenge.
The decisive inning came in the seventh. Ryne Stanek replaced Zimmermann and allowed a walk and a bunt single before leaving with a scary injury after sliding into first while trying to get Ortiz on the bunt.
JoJo Romero entered and immediately gave up a double to Yelich, putting Milwaukee ahead 4-3 with runners at second and third and nobody out. The Brewers couldn’t add on from there, as Chourio grounded out, Turang struck out, William Contreras was intentionally walked, and Andrew Vaughn grounded out.
Milwaukee’s bullpen then had to protect the one-run lead. Justin Bruihl handled the eighth for St.
Louis, while Aaron Ashby took over for Misiorowski and got two quick outs before Wetherholt and Herrera singled to put the tying runs on base. Alec Burleson grounded out to end that threat.
The Brewers still had one more chance to pad the lead in the ninth. Ortiz singled, moved up on a passed ball and a groundout, and Turang walked and stole second without a throw. Contreras grounded out, leaving the door open for Abner Uribe to finish it.
Uribe retired Walker on a pop-up, walked Nootbaar, and then got Bryan Torres to strike out and Nathan Church to ground out for his sixth save of the year. Trevor Megill had earned his 14th save yesterday, but this one belonged to Uribe.
Milwaukee finished with 10 hits, all from just four players. Yelich went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a single and two RBIs.
Ortiz had a double and two singles and drove in a run. Bauers doubled twice, and Mitchell added two singles and an RBI.
The Brewers went 4-for-16 with runners in scoring position.
The second game of the doubleheader is set for 6:45 p.m., with Milwaukee’s Robert Gasser and St. Louis’ Hunter Dobbins, both the 27th men, scheduled to start.
In Other News...
Caleb Durbin Is Suddenly Forcing Brewers Fans To Rethink Everything
Caleb Durbin looked like a rough fit early in the season, the kind of player who could get lost in the shuffle after a trade and leave a front office hoping the rest of the deal carries the load. Through May 23, his bat was buried deep enough in the numbers that it was fair to wonder whether the Brewers had seen the best of him already, especially with third base still a spot where production matters and patience can run thin.
Since June 10, though, Durbin has started to look like a completely different player. He has piled up seven home runs in that stretch and paired the surge at the plate with strong work at third base, turning what once looked like a frustrating early return into one of the more interesting developments on the roster. The bigger question now is whether this is a hot streak or the moment he finally settles in as the player Milwaukee thought it was getting. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Suddenly Face A Bigger Infield Decision Than Anyone Expected
David Hamiltons exit against the Cardinals turned what looked like a routine infield shuffle into a more complicated roster question for Milwaukee. Pat Murphy said the left hamstring tightness could take some time to heal, leaving the Brewers to sort out how they want to cover the spot while Hamilton is out and the rest of the infield keeps moving around.
One name already in the mix is Jett Williams, the clubs No. 5 prospect, who has yet to make his major league debut but has been productive at Triple-A this season. The Brewers have also been using Joey Ortiz at third base with Cooper Pratt at shortstop, so any move would have to fit into a lineup card that is already changing shape as they wait on Hamiltons recovery. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Suddenly Look Linked To A Proven Late-Inning Difference Maker
With the trade deadline approaching, Milwaukees bullpen situation has started to draw more attention, and the search for late-inning help has naturally pushed the Brewers toward the relief market. Boston left-hander Aroldis Chapman has emerged as a name to watch because he has been effective this season, pairing a 2.36 ERA with a high strikeout rate while working in a late-game role for the Red Sox.
For a Brewers club dealing with multiple bullpen injuries, that kind of track record makes obvious sense on paper. Chapman has also piled up 18 saves in 26.2 innings, which only adds to the appeal if Milwaukee decides it needs another arm it can trust in the final innings, though how aggressive the front office wants to be still leaves plenty of room for the deadline to shape the answer. [Read more 🡒]